| Project name | Creation and visualisation of a database on existing facilities for the aquathermal use of surface waters in Germany |
|---|---|
| Acronym | Aquathermal Viewer for Germany |
| Project partner |
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| Grantor | Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt |
| Duration | 2024 bis 2027 |
|
Research field |
E+E (E+E > Energy + Environment I+I > Information + Intelligence M+M > Matter + Materials) |
| Project content |
The use of renewable heat sources is key to achieving climate targets and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Aquathermal energy is environmental heat from e.g. surface waters and is a promising option. The heat is extracted through water extraction or heat exchangers and is processed with heat pumps. In Germany, plants for extracting heat from water bodies are approved on a decentralised basis, and cross-agency communication is currently difficult to implement. As part of the project, a map-based aquathermal viewer with a database is being developed that centrally records existing plants and their specifications and makes them available in an appropriate manner to authorities, planning offices, research institutions and plant operators. This will illustrate the current state of practice nationwide, and projects can be used as references to increase planning reliability for new aquathermal projects. This project thus contributes to the following three nationwide strategic goals: • More comprehensive ecological assessment, especially when the waters are used by several aquathermal plants. • Knowledge transfer and exchange of experience on proven systems or learnings to reduce uncertainties in implementation. • Transparency and harmonisation of approval procedures through visualisation. |
